Thursday, September 3, 2009

Since the flood hit in 2008, the UI’s arts have been drenched in facility problems. The university’s long standing connection with the Figge Art Museum, in Davenport, Iowa, has toasted the University’s watery woes affably by beginning a series of gallery talks throughout the school year.

The talks, which began earlier this summer, will be held every Thursday and will usually consist of an open dialogue about one particular piece of art work. The discussions are aimed at having a dialogue about how one approaches art, and the things that go into understanding a piece of art work.

Beginning at 5 p.m. and ending at 9 the gallery talks include a live band on the first and third Thursday of every month, an open bar, and tapas. The talks themselves last 30 minutes, proving to be great for community members of all ages.

The strong community tie that the university has to the Figge Art Museum, through staff contributors and local alumni, has proven to be the key and endearing motive. The atmosphere champions this idea in the gallery talks and personality of those that attend them.

“The community has responded wonderfully,” Dan McNeil, from the Figge, said. “We’ve had a great summer and we’re looking forward to a great fall.”

Both the university’s collection and the Figge’s collection will be on display in the Figge’s state of the art facility.

A trip to the Figge is not only an artistic endeavor, but also a display of the environment of neighborhood bonds that have only grown stronger in the face of adversity. Art from Eastern Iowa will never be the same.